Further details have emerged about the heist at the Lalique Museum in Alsace with investigators saying three thieves took apart a door to get in before making off with a haul worth around $5.1 million.

Local prosecutor François Antona said the thieves "smashed six display cases with sledgehammers and hammers to seize 27 pieces of jewelry in just a few minutes" before getting away partly because of a delay by a security company in alerting police.

The museum has said it will remain closed for the rest of July while investigators trawl for evidence about the theft.

Christian Dorschner, mayor of the small town of Wingen-sur-Moder which is home to the museum, said the theft was "a catastrophe", adding: "Museums have become a target for organized professionals."

The museum holds more than 650 pieces by the luxury glassmaker Rene Lalique and his successors.

A notorious Australian street artist stopped traffic for nine hours after scaling a 400-foot-high pillar in Melbourne and painting a giant mural on it in a protest against high taxes.

Jack Gibson-Burrell refused to come down from the landmark by the city's Bolte Bridge, using an Instagram video to say: "I’m not coming down until they lower the taxes.”

The graffiti artist, known for his trademark Pam the Bird image, also asked for a peanut butter and jam sandwich, a glass of milk and a blanket, saying it was “kinda cold” but did eventually surrender to police.

The city's mayor, Nick Reece, condemned what he called "an incredibly stupid and dangerous stunt that has disrupted thousands of commuters and defaced a city icon".

Police said a 22-year-old man had been interviewed and charged with 13 offenses including contravening conditions of bail, burglary, criminal damage and conduct endangering life.

Gibson-Burrell was already on bail after pleading not guilty to more than 200 charges that he caused almost $500,000 in damage by vandalizing property across Melbourne.

The inexorable rise of K-culture is helping bankroll the National Museum of Korea courtesy of its record-breaking gift shop.

The Seoul institution reported sales of merchandise reached $13 million in the first half of this year.

That is 90% up on the same time in 2025 with bestsellers including a glit bronze Pensive Bodhisattva with almost 12,000 sold this year at $67 each.

It surged in popularity after it was revealed avid art collector RM of K-pop group BTS owns two.

Rising visitor numbers have also boosted demand with 3.26 million visitors to the museum between January and May, up from 2.24 million during the same period last year.

JR's installation on the Pont Neuf in Paris attracted more daily visitors than the Louvre, according to figures released today.

The Paris tourist office estimated 6.4 million people had the opportunity to view it with 535,000 visitors walking through the work.

That amounts to an average of 41,154 visitors per day - more than the Louvre which caps its numbers at 30,000 visitors per day.

The work, which transformed the bridge into a monumental cavern, was a homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude who wrapped the bridge in stone-colored fabric for a fortnight in 1985.

JR also announced 90% of the materials used for the work, which was open for a fortnight, would be recycled.

1 - Works by Edward Hopper and Joseph Stella are among more than 30 pieces from the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art coming to a TV near you soon. They have been chosen as part of a partnership between the New York museum and Korean tech giant Samsung to feature in the firm's Art Store subscription service which gives viewers their own digital art collection.

2 - Thursday would have been David Hockney's 89th birthday and it is being celebrated with a series of screenings of his show Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) at the Lightroom in King's Cross, London. The showings, which are being held at the request of his family, will raise funds for the Royal Drawing School charity.

3 - The Galveston-based Moody Foundation has shared $475,000 between 70 arts organizations in Texas this year. The fund, which was set up in 2018, supports organizations with annual budgets of less than $1 million with the money paying for projects including new commissions and artist-in-residency programs.

4 - Athens-based Theo Triantafyllidis is the recipient of this year's Frieze London Artist Award and will present his work at Regent's Park in the UK capital during Frieze Week. The climable sculpture is being produced in collaboration with arts organization, Forma, and Google Arts & Culture.

5 - Berlin-based Venezuelan artist Sol Calero said it took "great effort and concentration" to build her new pavilion at the Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (MASP) while her country was suffering with the aftermath of deadly earthquakes. She has just unveiled the work in the Brazilian city in recent days and is expected at the museum today to greet visitors.